Tag Archives: QRP

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, SOTA, Videos

QRP SOTA: Lee pairs the KH1 and MPAS 2.0 to activate High Willhayes (G/DC-001)

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Many thanks to Lee (M0VKR) who shares the following field report and video:

SOTA CW Activation on High Willhayes Dartmoor

by Lee (M0VKR)

It was an overcast and breezy morning when wife Joanne and myself Lee, M0VKR set out on our latest SOTA (Summits on the Air) activation adventure. Our destination was High Willhays, the highest point in Devon UK – SOTA G/DC001, Dartmoor is well known for its rugged beauty and challenging terrain.

We parked the car a short distance up the road from the army camp, slung our packs over our backs and set off. The gravel tracks leading to the summit stretched out before us and took a winding path through the moorland.

A few sheep and cattle grazed in the rough grass as we made our way upwards on the gentle slope. It was a breezy morning and we had had rain a short while earlier. Despite the weather our spirits were high, and we were eager to reach the top and get on the air with the Elecraft KH1.

In my pack was my now trusty Elecraft KH1 and an MPAS 2.0 vertical antenna, with the KX3 as backup, a reliable setup for such expeditions. I’m pretty sure I could halve the weight in my pack, but as it’s not a huge walk to the summit I don’t mind ferrying the extra gear to the top. The weather, though overcast, was adding a touch of drama to the landscape, and the breeze kept us cool as we trekked upward.

Joanne, ever the supportive partner, helped carry some of the cooking equipment and victuals and she kept the mood light with her cheerful conversation.

After a brisk hike, we reached the summit of High Willhays. The view, even under the Grey sky, was breathtaking. Rolling green hills and expansive moorland stretched out as far as the eye could see.

I set about preparing the station, using the MPAS 2.0 vertical antenna, which is quick to deploy and ideal for the variable conditions we faced. Despite the less-than-ideal propagation conditions, I was determined to make the activation a success.

Although the MPAS in vertical form isn’t very efficient on 40, I prefer to take advantage of the quick setup that it offers, one of these days I will look at adding a top section to make 40 more efficient, perhaps as a sloping inverted L or something similar, more reading of the manual required!

With everything set up, I made the first call on the 40m band. My Friend Matt MW0KAX answered, he was essentially line of sight from Wales, so his signal was strong. That was the first and last contact on 40m. I changed to 20 meters, where the MPAS was more efficient for the little KH1 and it was able to breathe a bit easier. The tuner in the KH1 is nothing short of amazing, and quite happily tuned 40 meters in a few seconds.

The static crackled, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, a faint reply came through. The thrill of making that first contact was palpable. It still amazes me every time I make those first few contacts that QRP does work, even with a compromised antenna system. Despite the challenging conditions, My limited skill, Plenty of luck and the reliability of the equipment began to shine. All the equipment I was using was off the shelf, I hadn’t made a single thing myself, maybe one day.

One by one, contacts started to come in. Each short QSO contact was a small victory, a testament to perseverance and the joy of ham radio. It is necessary to persevere as a newer CW operator and use QRP power levels and poor propagation conditions. It’s non-negotiable after driving for 2 hours, and a 4km hike that we go home empty handed. I logged each contact meticulously, my excitement growing with every successful connection. Joanne watched on slightly bemused but very supportive of the hobby, sharing in the triumphs that each contact brings and providing much-needed encouragement.

By the end of the activation, We had made several QSOs. While the propagation conditions had been far from ideal, the activation was undeniably a success. We had achieved what we set out to do: connect with fellow hams across the airwaves from the summit of High Willhays for a SOTA activation.

As we packed up our gear, the breeze picked up, and the clouds began to clear slightly, offering a glimpse of blue sky. The trek back down was filled with reflections on the day’s achievements and plans for future activations. We both felt a deep sense of accomplishment. We had braved the elements, navigated the challenging RF conditions, and emerged victorious.

This activation, like many before it, was a reminder of the joys of ham radio, CW and QRP operation and the adventure it can bring. For me and my wife Joanne, High Willhays would always hold a special place in our memories, not just for its height, but for the heights that we reached together on the airwaves.

Activation Video:

Take care and Speak soon, 72,

Lee M0VKR

Accessories, Field Reports, New Products, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Stealth, Videos

Tabletop QRP POTA: A Father’s Day Getaway to Mount Mitchell State Park

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When our family needs a change of scenery without a long drive, Mount Mitchell State Park is our go-to destination. I’ve mentioned before that it’s my “happy place” here in North Carolina. Mount Mitchell is only about 6 miles from our home as the crow flies, but it takes about 50 minutes to drive there, and it’s not in the direction of any of our usual destinations. Heading up the Blue Ridge Parkway and watching the flora change with elevation makes it feel like a proper getaway.

On Sunday, June 16, 2024, we wanted just such a getaway, as my wife and daughters were treating me to some Father’s Day fun. After visiting my father-in-law in the hospital in the early afternoon, we drove to Mount Mitchell.

Mount Mitchell State Park (US-2747)

Sundays on Mount Mitchell tend to be busy, especially in the summer. However, on this particular Sunday, it was rainy, foggy, and there were storms in and around the area.

Weather like this never bothers us on Mount Mitchell, as it can shift in an instant, as long as thunderstorms don’t intrude.

As soon as we arrived, I grabbed my radio bag from the car and found an empty picnic shelter. I’d been hoping for a free shelter since it was raining, and fortunately, we got our pick!

One of the first things I did after dropping off my pack was to tie Hazel to a picnic table because she was laser-focused on a chipmunk she saw run up a tree next to the shelter. That dog drives chipmunks and squirrels crazy, I’m sure.

My wife and daughters dropped off some art supplies at one of the shelter tables, then went on a short hike while I performed my POTA activation.

Note that Mount Mitchell is also a SOTA summit, but the picnic area is not within the activation zone. I could have easily gone to one of my go-to SOTA spots on the summit and knocked out a SOTA activation quickly (only four contacts are needed), but I wanted to save that for another day. Plus, being in the shelter meant that I could have a nice leisurely, dry activation!

I brought along my Penntek TR-45L and planned to pair it with a random wire antenna for the activation. However, since the weather was iffy—again, my primary concern was any thunderstorms that might sneak up on us—I decided to skip the wire antenna and go tabletop instead.

Fortunately, my Elecraft KH1 lives in my EDC bag at all times, so I set it up for tabletop mode.

New Tufteln KH1 Right Angle Adapter

KH1 “tabletop mode” gave me the perfect excuse to try out an accessory my friend Joshua (N5FY) sent me: his version of a KH1 right-angle antenna adapter.

You might recall that I have used the Elecraft KH1 adapter in previous activations and I think it works brilliantly. The first version of Elecraft’s adapter had one issue: the parts would fall apart if you weren’t careful with how you attached it to the KH1.

Joshua designed his right-angle adapter with captive components so that it’s all in one piece and can’t come apart.

I should note here that Elecraft actually updated their right-angle adapter design so that it also has captive components as well—so you have two choices! I’ll use the new Elecraft adapter in a future video and field report.

Joshua’s Tufteln design works really well (it’s also less expensive than the OEM adapter), and I like that it’s bright red, which means I’m less likely to leave it in the field!

Gear:

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On The Air

I assumed that 20 meters might be the most productive band that afternoon, so that’s where I started calling CQ POTA after snagging a Park-to-Park with K9NUD. Continue reading Tabletop QRP POTA: A Father’s Day Getaway to Mount Mitchell State Park →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

On a POTA Mission with the RGO One!

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On Thursday, June 6, 2024, I had two missions:

  1. To help fellow volunteers at the Asheville Radio Museum assemble shelving.
  2. To fit in a POTA activation over lunch.

I started out the day pretty early at the QTH sorting out a few chores, then I made my way to the museum around 9:30.

The Asheville Radio Museum

I’m a member and volunteer of the Asheville Radio Museum, a small – but brilliantly curated – museum on the campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

That Thursday morning, we organized a shelf-building party to assemble a shipment of new shelves we’re going to use to house our collection in a new space A-B Tech has given us on the third floor of the Elm building.

We’re super excited about the new space not only because it’s much larger, but there’s even a dedicated workbench where we can invite students and guests to learn some soldering and repair skills.

If you’re ever in the Asheville, North Carolina area, I’d strongly encourage you to check out the Asheville Radio Museum. Check our website for directions and hours.

We ended up working on the shelves for a couple of hours, and once assembled, I decided to grab lunch at Bridge & Tunnel Coffee in the Coman Student Activity Center next door. The food and coffee were absolutely amazing. A-B Tech students are so lucky to have a café of this caliber on campus!

I spent more time hanging with my friends at lunch than I had planned. No regrets there.

I knew there was still plenty of time to make my way to the Vance Historic Birthplace and fit in a POTA activation! Twenty minutes of driving later, and I was pulling into the Vance parking lot.

Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace (US-6856)

As I made my way around the visitor’s center, I was very pleased to see that the picnic shelter was unoccupied. School was still in session for many districts in the area and field trips tend to take place near the end of the term. Had there been a school group at this small historic site, I would have gone elsewhere to activate so as not to disturb them.

The weather was pretty amazing – the perfect day to be outdoors playing radio.

Speaking of radio, I brought a special one with me that day.

The Mission RGO One

As I mention in my activation video below, I receive more questions about this radio than any others I take to the field. Some have seen it in previous activation videos, and many see it in my QRPer.com banner rotation.

Typically, I’ll get a message with the following question, “Thomas, what is that cool radio with the white faceplate I see in the banner on QRPer?”

It’s no wonder I get a lot of questions about it. The Mission RGO One is a very low-production run modular transceiver – the creation of Boris Sapundzhiev (LZ2JR).

Boris produces the Mission RGO One in small batches at his facility in Bulgaria. This is very much a cottage industry radio – one you won’t find in many shacks or on Field Day because there just aren’t a lot out there (compared with Yaesu, Elecraft, Icom, etc.).

I’m a massive fan of the RGO One. So much so, that if I had to pare down my radio collection to only two HF transceivers, the RGO One would be one of those two.

I love the RGO One’s legacy design and the fact it’s a down-conversion superhet receiver with 9MHz IF. The receiver is absolutely amazing.

You don’t see the RGO One in many of my POTA videos mainly because I tend to use my smaller, portable radios in the field. That said, the RGO One was designed with field operating in mind – it’s a very capable radio and lightweight compared to other tabletop radios.

The RGO One is my main HF radio in the shack, so it actually gets heavy use. If I’ve ever hunted you at the QTH while you were activating a park or summit, it was likely with the Mission RGO One.

As I mention in the video, I will plan to make a “Getting To Know You” video with the RGO One in the near future, so I’ll speak a bit more about it then.

In the meantime, you can read my full review of the Mission RGO on The SWLing Post and check out more about any upcoming production runs on Boris’ website.

Setting Up

I decided to deploy my KM4CFT EFHW kit that I trimmed for 30 meters with a 40-meter extension. This antenna is brilliant because it resonates on 30 and 17 meters as a 30-meter EFHW, then if you link the 40-meter extension, it’ll give you 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. That’s six bands on one antenna without the need for an ATU.

Next, I paired my Begali Traveler paddles with the RGO One.

Although the RGO One has a maximum output power of 50 or 55 watts, I had it set to my standard 5 watts QRP.

Gear

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

On The Air

Being in the early afternoon, I decided to hop on 20 meters first, as I assumed it might be one of the more productive bands. Conditions – as we all know – have been quite rough as of late, so I tend to start my activation on the band where I think I’ll accumulate the most contacts. Continue reading On a POTA Mission with the RGO One! →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, SOTA, Videos

M0VKR’s Lewesdon Hill SOTA activation with the Elecraft KH1

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Many thanks to Lee (M0VKR) who shares the following field report and video:

Activating Lewesdon Hill with the Elecraft KH1

by Lee (M0VKR)

After taking a day off from work my wife Joanne and I pondered about what we could do. “Shall we go over to Dorset to that hill you have spoken about and take your new radio?” There is no need to ask me twice to get outside and activate so we were quickly packed.

The KH1 came as the Edgewood package, so everything is contained in its own pack, ready for moments just like this. I grabbed it off the shelf in the shack, along with a KX3 as backup.

Within 10 minutes we had our labradors Toby and Konnie in the car and set off on a new CW ham radio adventure to activate Lewesdon Hill in Dorset for a SOTA activation. It was mid-morning by this point and things looked promising for a perfect day of outdoor radio operation.

With my Elecraft KH1 and KX3 as a backup snugly packed, along with my trusty home brew antennas, we embarked on the journey. The drive was scenic, with the rolling hills of the Dorset countryside providing a beautiful backdrop, Traffic was light too – Perfect.

After 45 minutes or so we arrived at the base of Lewesdon Hill. I took a moment to appreciate the tranquility of the area, breathing in the fresh air. The only downside was no nearby carpark, so we parked the car in a layby making sure it wasn’t going to be in the way of any farm traffic.

Finding the right spot to set up was the first small challenge.

Lewesdon Hill is only 279 meters (915 feet) to the summit, not exactly a mountain but it is the highest point in Dorset. We set off up the concrete driveway to a local farm, then turned right through a gateway and began ascending. The ascent is marked as a footpath and is pretty much through woodland until you get to the summit. It is a relatively steep climb, and we stopped every so often to take in the expanding view of the countryside through the trees.

Joanne had completed a 10K run a few days before so was happy to stretch her legs.

We arrived at the summit in good time. I needed a location with good elevation and a clear view to maximize my reach.

After a brief walk 1KM’ish, Joanne found the perfect spot—a clearing with a panoramic view of the surrounding area and a fallen tree which made the perfect workstation. I could already feel the anticipation building as I began unpacking my gear.

Setting up the antenna is always a mix of art and science, but mostly just plain luck. Today, I was using my favourite home brew random wire, which had served me well in previous activations. I found a stone to act as a weight and tossed the wire into a tree on the first shot and with a few quick adjustments, it was up and ready. Next came the radios.

The Elecraft KH1 and KX3 are compact yet powerful, ideal for portable operations like this. Because the KH1 had been configured already at home and previous activations, I hit the tune button. It tuned the random wire within a second or so and I double checked the keyer speed and set it to 16 WPM. Luckily, there was good phone service, so I sent out a spot on the SOTA website and I was ready to start.

The band conditions were not exactly favourable, however the clear blue skies hinted at a good run. I powered up the KH1 and began calling CQ. A station in Northern Ireland came back instantly and exploded out of the speaker, at a lovely cadence. One by one, contacts started rolling in. Each successful connection was a small victory, a testament to the power of CW communication and the effectiveness of my setup and of course the superb performance of the Elecraft KH1.

The weather was kind, with a gentle breeze keeping things cool. Throughout the activation, I logged 4 contacts, each one a story in itself. Notable among them was a contact from my good friend Steve MW0SAW from across the Bristol Channel in Wales, a testament to the reach of my modest setup. Steve and I had been in the same CWOPS class last year, so it’s always great to get him on air, even though we speak most days on the phone.

By the end of the session, I had made 4 contacts. I was really satisfied and could have sat for longer working the bands but, content, we decided to pack up and go grab some lunch from the nearby bakery in the village of Beaminster. The KH1 had performed flawlessly, and the homebrew wire antenna had once again proven its worth and overall, it had been a successful activation.

Reflecting on the day’s achievements as we hiked back down, the sun now a little higher in the sky, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Having just completed a 10 week comprehensive ICR course with CW innovations and being a relatively new CW operator, I was pleased that the contacts had come back at a predictable pace. This made copying the callsigns easy. As I complete more activations, I am finding each activation is a unique experience, and today with the Elecraft KH1 was no exception. We are looking forward to the next adventure, with new challenges and new stories to tell.

Back at home, I reviewed the logs and relived the day through the video footage I had been encouraged to make by my family and friends. For those who want to see the activation in action, you can check out this video on my YouTube channel:

73 and see you on the airwaves!

Lee (M0VKR)

Readers: Would you do me a favor and subscribe to Lee’s new YouTube channel? Lee kindly shared his field report at my request and this activation video was a first for his new channel. Let’s support him by giving his video a thumbs up and subscribing! Thanks for sharing your report, Lee! -Thomas (K4SWL)

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Morse Code, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel

UK POTA Rain and Shine

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by Matt (W6CSN)

Bletchley Park

Most readers of this blog are probably familiar with Bletchley Park and the significance of this place in breaking the codes used by the axis military forces during the second world war.

The electromechanical systems developed and used here to aid the codebreakers in their daily work led directly to the electronic digital computers of the mid-twentieth century, and then to the modern world as we know it.

After boarding the London Northwestern Railway at Euston station, the hour long train journey took us from central London, through the suburbs, then the pastoral English countryside to the station at Bletchley, just south of Milton Keynes.

Bletchley Park is a five minute walk from the train station at Bletchley, the town of the same name. In keeping with the formerly clandestine nature of the work at Bletchley Park, there are no loud signs to welcome you, just the Union Jack flying over the nondescript visitor center in Block C.

Exiting the visitor center, any ham will quickly spot the three-element SteppIR Yagi perched atop a roof-mounted tower. Also from the tower, a folded dipole extends over the the Block B building which houses the Alan Turing museum exhibits. The other end of this antenna farm is plugged into GB3RS, the amateur radio station for the National Radio Centre of the RSGB.

The friendly and helpful staff of amateurs at the NRC played a crucial role in my hoped-for plan of activating Bletchley Park for Parks On The Air.

Surprisingly, the POTA page for GB-0507 showed only a handful of activations of this iconic location. Seeing as this is a heritage site, I sent an email to the NRC about week before my visit asking for advice on how to be a welcome guest POTA operator.

Note, the NRC is colocated on the grounds of the museum but they are not a part of Bletchley Park. The NRC is a separate organization.

Martyn G0GMB, the Director of the NRC, kindly responded to my enquiry and informed me that individual amateur radio activity is not generally permitted on the grounds of Bletchley Park due to the number of visitors they receive and concerns about RF safety. This could explain the low number of activations.

The sharp eyed will spot the GB3RS beam across the pond.

Martyn suggested I could set up in the overflow car park few minutes walk down the road from the visitor center. While not on the grounds of Bletchley Park proper, the parking lot operation would still be in the spirit of POTA and would reasonably count as a valid activation location.

When I arrived at Bletchley Park on Friday afternoon, I was met by Mervyn G4KLE who was expecting me thanks to a note left by OM G0GMB. Mervyn asked where all my equipment was and I motioned to the pack on my back.

Because my radio and antenna was a low impact, minimal footprint QRP setup, I was told that I could make use of the picnic table just out the side door of the GB3RS shack, with my antenna setup just beside it. This dead-end spot was not on any of the paths frequented by park visitors and my antenna would not be easily visible.

The antenna is low profile

This was a much better arrangement than trying to activate from a car park without a car! I quickly deployed a GRA-GNT micro tripod with center spike pushed easily into the soft ground. The GRA-7350T loaded vertical and a set of short radials provided an SWR of 1.05 to 1.

I chose the QMX as a travel radio while in Britain because with it, the overall kit is very lightweight and compact. With the exception of the tripod the whole kit fits in my carry-on. The GRA-GNT antenna mounting kit has to fly in checked baggage due to several aggressive looking spikes that would certainly be flagged by airport security. Continue reading UK POTA Rain and Shine →

News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, QRP, QRP Radios, SOTA

From Customs to Summits: Steve’s KH1 journey into Wales and onto summits!

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Many thanks to Steve (MW0SAW) who shares the following guest post:

Getting a KH1 into Wales and activating a couple of SOTA summits

by Steve (MW0SAW)

I suspect like many QRP enthusiasts, when the brochure of the KH1 surfaced on the Elecraft FTP site, and the YouTube videos appeared, I worked myself into a frenzy of radio desire for the KH1. I knew I had to have one, end of story!

I was so keen to place my order, I totally missed the small print about not being able to ship to the UK or EU because of the lack of CE certification. Or UKCA for that matter. So I placed an order online with Elecraft on 21st Oct 2023 and later it was cancelled because of my location.

Waters and Stanton used to be Elecraft dealers in the UK, in fact I got my KX2 from there a few years ago. But sadly they no longer sell Elecraft products.

Looking on the dealer list, I turned my attention to Rene and Carine at Lutz Electronics in Switzerland. Although a more expensive route to ownership, Lutz have an agreement to buy the KH1 in as a kit and assemble the unit as a service before shipping on to the customer.

So after quite a few emails back and fore with Carine, I learnt I had reserved one of a batch of 40 units destined for the Swiss border. This was around early April.

A few weeks later, on 26th April, I got the email from Lutz requesting international bank transfer payment.

It felt I was really close to getting a KH1 in my hand now, or so I thought!

2nd May I got the tracking number, and by this time I was about to pop with excitement. I was checking the tracking at almost an hourly basis by now! It arrived in London Heathrow and that’s exactly where it stopped for a week. 🙁

The unit was held by customs and I just could not find any information on who to talk to. So after a week of radio silence, a letter from UK Borderforce arrived requesting I assign myself a customs agent to get my parcel cleared. There was even a mention that the parcel would be returned or even destroyed!

Long story slightly shorter, after several more stressful days of worry, I managed to find an extremely efficient company called UK import services. It did cost me a fee, but within a couple of days of providing the invoice and seller information, they got the parcel cleared.

Saturday the 25th May 2024…the big day! I remember pacing around the house looking up the street for the postman. The parcel was handed over and I dashed inside my home to open the box.

OMG there is was, in my hands, wow so small and such a thing of radio QRP beauty!

My friend Lee (M0VKR) also received his that morning and immediately packed his car to head for his nearest SOTA summit: High Willhays (G/DC-001).

Conditions had been terrible with the solar activity, but I managed to get my first QSO with Lee on 40m, in fact KH1 to KH1. I did have to plug it into my home QTH ZS6BKW to make the trip.

So two days later, I was presented with the opportunity and decided to grab a local summit: Craig yr Allt (GW/SW-037).

Conditions weren’t great but I wasn’t put off trying. I managed to qualify with the whip antenna and 17m came up with the goods to qualify.

I was struck by how small and light the unit is, and just how quick the station is to deploy.

In the distance the Bristol Channel and the islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm. Flat Holm being the place where Marconi sent his first oversea radio signal to Lavernock Point.

The following weekend I took the KH1 out to the SOTA summit of Mynydd Y Glyn (GW/SW-027). Another day of terrible radio propagation. This time I deployed one of my MW0SAW EFHW antennas and the Bamatech TP-III key.

So despite the difficulties getting the radio, and despite the poor radio conditions it was great to be out with the KH1.

I absolutely love it.

It now goes everywhere with me, it’s insane how quick you can deploy it. Even managed to chase a German SOTA station from the office carpark, on 30m with the standard whip and 13 foot counterpoise!!

73 from Wales.
de MW0SAW

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel

Joe’s Adirondack Adventure: POTA activations in the Independence River Wilderness

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Many thanks to Joe (N0LSD) who shares the following guest post:

Independence River Wilderness – Adirondacks, NY

by Joe (N0LSD)

A recent family engagement offered me the perfect opportunity to travel to a part of my state I rarely get the chance to visit.

This trip would be a single over-nighter, but allow for the activation of three POTA entities by hitting two different locations.  One stop would be a two-fer, while the other location would be a single-park activation.  Additionally, this trip would offer the potential for ‘late-shift’ contacts:  always a nice feature of overnight activations.

The Planning

In northern New York lies a vast, 6-million acre (over 2.4 million hectare) area that has been set-aside in the State’s constitution as protected land, and half of this area contains wildernesses that are meant to be kept ‘forever wild’.  This area, known as the Adirondack State Park, is fully 20% of the land area of the state of New York, and constitutes the largest area of state-protected land in the United States.

By way of comparison, one could fit Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Everglades, and Great Smoky National Parks all within the Adirondack State Park boundary – at the same time.  (Wood-Tikchik State Park, in Alaska, has more *contiguous* protected land, at 1.6-million acres, and the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is the largest Federally-protected area.)

My goal was to probe the very western edge of this region.  Situated east-southeast of the town of Lowville, NY are two parks that straddle the Blue Line, which serves as the official border of the Adirondack Park itself.

To the west is the Independence River State Forest (POTA US-5067):  this park falls outside the Blue Line.  Bordering this park to the east is Independence River Wild State Forest (POTA US-10295) – which falls within the Blue Line, and thus within the border of the Adirondack Park (POTA US-2001).

My Amateur operations over the last number of years have been primarily utilizing digital modes; however, because the destination is a place I can seldom travel, and solar activity has been unkind to the HF bands as of late, I’d not leave anything to chance.

This meant having the ability to activate these parks via SSB Voice, if necessary.  I’ve been activating parks with the TruSDX, because it is a light-weight radio.  In addition to carrying this, however, I also took the Xeigu G90, and a Bioenno 12Ah battery.  A good bit of extra weight, but it provided a bit of insurance against the possibility of a failed activation attempt.

On Arrival

In Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey, one of the great writers of the 20th Century, wrote, “In the first place you can’t see anything from a car; you’ve got to get out of the [G.D.] contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbush and cactus.  When traces of blood begin to mark your trail you’ll begin to see something, maybe.  Probably not.”

Map reconnaissance showed it would probably be feasible to drive through the Independence River State Forest park on a forestry road, then hike a couple miles further into the Independence River Wild State Forest along established trails to make camp on Little Otter Lake.  This would be my overnight location and first activation opportunity – a two-fer, as this place lies entirely within the Adirondack Park border.  This would put my vehicle at a midpoint between the two POTA entities.

I tend to pour over maps in preparation for trips like this, but I know better than to trust maps implicitly, especially in the wilderness.  A couple enterprising beavers can turn a whole forest into a pond; and a stroke of a pen in a far-away capital can make a road disappear back into the woods within a few short years.  Topology rarely changes, but what is on that topology can only be trusted once one sets eyes on it. Continue reading Joe’s Adirondack Adventure: POTA activations in the Independence River Wilderness →

Field Reports, New Products, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, SSB, Videos

Xiegu X6200: Second POTA activation with rough propagation, but CW saves the day!

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On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, I took my production run Xiegu X6200 (on loan from Radioddity) to the Blue Ridge Parkway for its first POTA activation. The activation was a success, with good band conditions on 40 and 30 meters. You can read that field report by clicking here.

Later that day, I had a second opportunity to use the X6200. My daughters were kayaking near Lake Powhatan in Pisgah National Forest, so Hazel (my activational support animal–!) and I went for a quick POTA activation.

Pisgah National Forest (US-4510)

I usually set up near the lake at Lake Powhatan, where there are picnic tables and shade. However, mobile phone reception is poor there. Since I planned to operate in single-sideband mode, I needed a way to self-spot or have a friend spot me, thus a little mobile phone reception (else, use my Garmin In-Reach).

I decided to set up at a picnic area at the top of the hill near the main parking area for the lake/beach. I’ve never seen anyone use this site before, likely because it’s not close to the lake.

The site is surrounded by trees, making it a great spot to deploy a wire antenna.

Setting up

I used my PackTenna 9:1 UNUN random wire antenna, which was already in my pack from the morning activation. It’s a good choice for the higher bands (20 and 17M) I planned to use.

I set up the PackTenna so it wouldn’t interfere with anyone walking through the site. Hazel found a sunny spot to relax.

Gear:

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On The Air

I began by attaching the X6200 microphone and spotting myself on the SSB portion of the 20M band. I called CQ POTA for quite a while with no response.

Once again, propagation conditions were poor. Continue reading Xiegu X6200: Second POTA activation with rough propagation, but CW saves the day! →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel

The POTA Babe Reaches the Halfway Mark!

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by Teri (KO4WFP)

It is said that all good things must come to an end and a POTA trip is no exception. Packing up camp at Reed Bingham State Park the morning of June 3rd was an easy endeavor.  Daisy and I were soon headed toward Savannah with a POTA planned along the way at Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area (US-7881). We passed through the communities of Tifton and Ocilla, Georgia.

As one travels through Georgia, you see a variety of crops along the road – cotton, peanuts, corn, pecans, blueberries, soybeans, etc. – as well as cattle in fields and poultry houses. As I worked my way toward Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area (WMA), I came across a processing plant for peanuts in Tifton, Georgia.

Peanuts are big business in Georgia. According to the Georgia Peanut Commission, the state of Georgia produces 52% of the peanuts grown in the United States which translated to 1.45 million tons in 2022. That is a boatload of peanuts!

Peanuts are planted April through June and then harvested about five months later in the fall. One fact I did not know is there is a “peanut belt” in Georgia, an area south of the fall line but omitting the coastal counties, where peanuts are planted in the state. I was driving inside this belt.

Peanut crop in the field. source: georgiagrown.com
source: Georgia Peanut Commission

Nuts aside, it wasn’t long before Daisy and I arrived at Alapaha River WMA. This WMA opened in 2016 and contains nearly 7,000 acres. According to a Georgia DNR article, the site has an estimated 2,000 gopher tortoises, the most for any state-owned tract of land in Georgia. This is not surprising given the density of sandhills on the property, a habitat in which gopher tortoises thrive.

The dirt road into the property was nicely groomed. I drove past areas of young planted pines as well as more mature pine stands. However, neither of these areas were conducive to an activation, partially because the trees offered no shade and partially because the branches were either too low or too high for me to install my EFRW antenna.

Entrance into Alapaha River WMA
Young pines

I continued on Jacks Creek Road and headed toward a dove field (the brown area on the map down below) at the point the road dead-ends. I  figured there may be trees along the edge of the field offering what I needed. I turned left onto North Bugle Trail and, off to the right hand side, saw an area with both shade and trees I could use.

source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
The shady area for my activation QTH
Trees with good branch options

After donning my blaze orange attire and installing the Tufteln EFRW, I attached the new hitch system to the hubcap of one of Kai’s front wheels and the rope to the clip on Daisy’s harness so she could make herself at home along with me in the shade.

While checking out the shady area, I noticed several things – dandelions with their sunny, yellow faces and animal tracks in the sand. The set of tracks for deer were easy to identify. However, another set, not so. I think the second set belonged to a raccoon.

Deer track
Raccoon track (I think)

Today’s activation would be short as I had a three-hour drive ahead of me and needed to be home in time for my son’s evening driving class. (Yes, we’ve reached that stage of life in the POTA Babe household.) In 45 minutes, I logged 19 contacts including one park-to-park with Charles AB9CA at US-2275 and a QSO with Ronald N7WPO in Washington state! That QSO on 5 watts and a wire is part of the magic I mentioned near the end of my previous article.

QSO Map for Alapha River WMA Activation

During the activation I had watched the sun creep closer and closer to Daisy and me. When the time reached 11:15 AM, we were nearly out of shade. It was time to call QRT and head home.

This overnight POTA trip turned out well. I learned more about my camping set-up and the beautiful state in which I live. I had time to do what I love – ham radio in the outdoors. And, with these three activations, I now have 30 parks toward my 60 new-to-me park activation goal for 2024!

I am halfway there.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me thus far. However, my journey is far from over and the fun will continue. Where will I activate next as I work toward 30 more new parks? Stay tuned…

Equipment Used

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Accessories, Articles, Guest Posts, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRPers, Skills, SOTA

Guest Post: Preparing radio and trail gear for a once-in-a-lifetime, epic through-hike

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We’re excited to welcome Bryce Bookwalter (KD9YEY) as a guest contributor on QRPer.com!

I had the pleasure of meeting Bryce at the 2024 Hamvention, where he shared his plans for an ambitious hiking adventure next year. Knowing he wanted to incorporate radio into his journey, I asked if he’d be willing to bring us along by sharing updates on his preparations and experiences on the trail.

To help fund his adventure, Bryce has started a GoFundMe campaign, which you can learn more about at the end of this post. Additionally, please note that some of the gear links below are affiliate links that help support QRPer.com at no extra cost to you.

Bryce, take it away…

Backpacking Booky: A Quest to Hike the Appalachian Trail

by Bryce (KD9YEY)

The dream is formed, and it always seems so attainable. It’s as easy as the desire to walk in the woods and explore the beauty of nature. To find community with the world around you and discover your reflection is no different than the hills and streams that stand steadfast against time. I feel like anyone who wishes to pursue a long hike starts with these feelings and lofty ideas of what the trail will be like and the experience they will have…and then you realize you’re going to have to poop out there.

Hello, my name is Bryce Bookwalter and in 2025 I am attempting a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. This has been a goal of mine since I was in my freshman year of high school in 2005 and first learned about the trail.

I was in Front Royal Virginia at the time and one weekend we went hiking and our trail passed by the A.T. I remember hearing that this same trail traveled all the way from Georgia to Maine and it blew my mind.

I wanted to hike it right then, and I still want to hike it today. Life happens of course, and I had to let the dream go for some time. I have found myself in a unique time of my life recently where I will be between schooling and a new job and I realized that if I don’t hike the trail now, I may never get the opportunity again. My education has been off and on throughout the last decade and 5 years ago I ran out of my GI Bill that I received from the Army. With only 2 semesters remaining until I received my degree, I started doing construction to save money to return to school. 5 years later I have returned to Indiana University, and I am now 1 semester away from finally receiving my degree in Community Health. With this milestone accomplished, I have decided that before I start another job I need to try and complete my long-time goal of hiking the A.T.

It is an interesting turn of events that brought me back to the love of backpacking. It would seem an illogical path to say that Ham Radio is responsible for my rekindled passion for the outdoors, but this is in fact the case. Two years ago, my stepdad Joe (W9NVY) got into Ham Radio, and I decided to at least get my Technician License so that we can communicate through the local repeaters. Later that year we both participated in the GOTA team for a local Field Day club out of Indianapolis. After working to set up the antennas and operate for 24 hours, I was hooked on HF!

Since then, I have received my General License and am currently working on my extra. I learned about Parks on the Air and discovered that there is a whole side to this hobby that involves preparing gear, packing it, and carrying it into the wild to set up and operate remotely. This speaks to me in so many ways. Not only do I get to play radio, which I love, but I also get to add hiking and backpacking to the mix.

I am a gear junkie! I will admit it openly. I love researching gear and seeing what works for others and obtaining gear and putting it to the test in the field. This harkens back to some of my favorite aspects of the military and Civil Air Patrol before that.

Civil Air Patrol days.

So, let’s talk gear! When preparing for a thru-hike, there is a lot to consider. You’re not just planning for a weekend outing but for a 4–6 month long adventure. It’s hard to know what to take…and even harder to know what NOT to take. There is a saying that I agree with that says, “Backpacking is the art of knowing what NOT to take.” This is so true.

There are different levels of backpackers, from conventional to ultralight.

Conventional backpackers can find their packs weighing 30-40 lbs. or more. Ultralight typically have their base weight (weight without food and water) down to under 10 lbs. I find myself somewhere in the middle. I lean towards lightweight, but I certainly do not consider myself an ultralight backpacker. Especially considering I will be carrying radio equipment with me along the trail.

The journey of finding the right gear is a constant process, though I believe I have narrowed the list down considerably. So, I will break my gear down into two sections: Backpacking Gear and Radio Gear. Continue reading Guest Post: Preparing radio and trail gear for a once-in-a-lifetime, epic through-hike →